Diversity Project

Walden University

Enhancing Learning for Diverse Populations: EDUC-6616J

February 24, 2019

Diversity Project

Diversity is defined as “the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). The 21st Century classroom is made up of such diverse student groups it can be challenging for teachers to find ways to meet all the needs that may be present. Most schools acknowledge the vast differences in the student population but often fail to initiate strategies that serve to create equity in learning environment. When we fail as educators to address the biases that exist within our classroom, we cultivate an environment that produces “interpersonal and cultural conflict” (Gorski & Pothini, 2018, p.10). In order to create an equitable learning environment, schools must begin to remove the biases that are present by encouraging tolerance and acceptance of others, through schoolwide initiatives, regardless of their personal or cultural differences. When this happens, students are able to form healthy social connections and teachers can spend more time creating meaningful lessons to meet the needs of all students in their classroom.

REFLECTION

When looking at the extremely diverse student population that is present in our school’s today, teachers face an overwhelming mission at times. It vitally important that schools initiate protocols for dealing with conflicts involving personal and cultural biases. Even more, teachers need to have opportunities to collaborate and plan lessons that will help them bridge academic gaps for students who do come from backgrounds where there are cultural differences. One such example of this would be students who come from families that speak other languages than English. These students are often identified in schools as English Language Learners (also known as ELL). Their abilities can range from no English spoken/understood to minimal words spoken/understood.

Many of these students come to classrooms from other countries and it can be very hard for them to adjust. Teachers are tasked with finding ways to communicate and help them learn while they are being instructed through other programs that focus on language immersion, as well. I have had many students that were identified as ELL and it was challenging for me to incorporate activities that were meaningful. Using the case studies and scenarios from this class, I have been able to identify and gain strategies for planning and addressing specific instances that identified my areas of strength and weakness as it related to my teaching practices.

One area of strength that I have established is creating open communication with the families of my ELL students. Translators can help ensure parents are able to understand what is being communicated accurately (Gorski & Pothini, 2018). Now, I often will ask for translators when we have to meet or ask that my newsletter be translated if possible. I ensure that invitations for school activities are created in different language formats for those parents who I know are not yet proficient in English. I encourage students to communicate to me any needs they may have in reference to completing assignments at school and home. On the other hand, I feel more confident but still struggle at times to create activities that will challenge my ELL students without causing them to become frustrated due to their specific understanding or ability in relation to the content.

My personal belief is that all students can learn if given the right tools and the proper instructional opportunities needed for their specific learning needs. I believe it is important to foster a relationship with students that helps them learn to embrace new challenges even if it can be frustrating at times. As I look at what I previously learned and included in another assignment, “Educators must facilitate open discussions and be ready “to think more broadly and go beyond “self” in an attempt to understand others”” (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2011). Our goal as educators should revolve around personal reflection to ensure we do not allow personal biases to “influence our professional practices” (Walden University, 2010).

SMART GOALS

To move beyond just teaching to all students across a general set of goals, it is necessary for teachers who have ELL students to differentiate the instruction to meet their specific needs (Haynes, 2014). When planning new lessons and activities it is important to remember that we should " value students’ cultural and linguistic resources and view this knowledge as capital to build upon rather than as a barrier to learning" (Aceves & Orosco, 2014, p. 7). Building a solid set of goals that will provide guidance as you help the students progress helps to keep a clear line of achievement at the forefront. One way to achieve this is to create SMART goals that help focus the content and allow the teacher to gain valuable data concerning progression. SMART goals will always be “specific, measureable, achievable, relevant, and timely” (Laureate Education, 2015i).

As I began to plan my activities for this Diversity Project, I knew it was important to incorporate SMART goals so I could ensure that I covered all the parameters of instruction needed to gain useful data. The project dealt with more than just what would take place in the classroom but it involved creating goals when incorporating discussions with colleagues, parents, and other community resources.

My group of students consisted of 6 English Language Learners in Kindergarten. The students were struggling to learn letters, letter sounds, and then progressing to site words is a requirement when being considered for promotion to the next grade level. For the purposes of this project my goals were centered around helping the students become proficient at identifying letters, both upper and lower case.

1 SMART goal to implement culturally responsive teaching practices to best meet the needs of all students in your classroom.

Students should be able to identify their upper and lower case letters with ninety percent accuracy by the end of the twelve week program. The students will be assessed weekly using varying mixed letter tests and results will be charted in a graphing program to determine beginning ability and then progression scale thereafter.

1 SMART goal that will help you gain a better understanding of families so that you can connect instruction to students’ experiences.

I plan to invite all the parents and the students in my group to introduce them to the instructional strategies, learning tools, and data reports that I will be using to help the students gain proficiency and to track their progression. Then, I plan to schedule a meeting with the parents of each student in my group at the fourth week, eighth week, and twelfth week point to inform them of their child’s current progression based on the data and answer any concerns they may have regarding the program.

1 SMART goal that involves collaboration with community members outside of the school environment to meet the needs of your identified population(s) and that contributes to positive social change.

I plan to ask for six (school approved) volunteers from the community to come to the school at least twice a week for thirty minutes and work with each of these students on identifying their upper and lower case letters using specified learning tools during the twelve week program. 1–2 SMART goals that involve collaboration among your school community, families, and community. At least one SMART goal should include technology resources that are available for family use within the community.

To organize a training workshop, with the help of our current ELL specialists, for school staff, the parents of current ELL students, the ELL students in the program, and community members who want to volunteer, in order to provide information and hands-on training regarding the use of suitable technology resources that will help students practice in the classroom and at home.

ACTION PLAN

Targeted Student Group & Selection Criteria:

Kindergarten students who are English Language Learners that have not yet mastered identifying their upper and lower case letters. These students were selected from grade level testing performed by their teachers weekly for the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year.

Defined Goal SMART Action Steps to Who is How will data be Resources needed

Parameter Accomplish Goal responsible for collected and to carry out

GOALS implementation? who will collect Action Plan

it?

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responsive lower case Language where the Flash cards, teaching letters with Learners not teacher will Ipads,

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needs of all the end of the identification. based on their scissors, paper,

students in twelve week needs. They pencils your program. The Observe will collect classroom. students will students work samples Other: be assessed working in and pass them ( Differentiation ) weekly using their classroom along to me. Possibly an

varying mixed setting. older peer

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thereafter. 4 days per technology

week and on based strategies

the fifth day of each week (for the 12 weeks) they will be given a letter recognition assessment. I will in put their score each week in a graph and use this to track their data and reveal progress.

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instruction to learning tools, later fill out Parents and Support Staff students’ and data The school school staff

experiences. reports that I office support will sign in to School

will be using Prepare a letter staff will send record Letterhead and to help their to send out to out the attendance envelopes

child gain the parents invitations 2 proficiency inviting them weeks prior to and to track to attend the meeting Parents will be

their invited to

progression. Schedule participate in

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my group at the 4 week, 8 preference the day of the

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week, eighth week point of Mrs. Nichols

week, and the program will reserve the

twelfth week necessary

point to inform room

them of their Secure the child’s current meeting room progression and all

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with from the possible contacted representatives

community community to candidates for regarding members come to the inviting as volunteering outside of the school at least volunteers and invite school twice a week from the those who environment for thirty community have an

to meet the minutes and interest in

needs of your work with Inform parents helping

identified each of these and staff that population(s) students on this is the next

and that identifying step in

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specified established

learning tools

during the Call potential twelve week candidates,

program. explain what I

(In addition to am needing, the time I am and invite pulling them) them to the information session

1–2 SMART To organize a Prepare for the Mrs. Nichols Mrs. Nichols Laptop goals that training training will facilitate will provide all computers,

involve workshop, session by the meeting participants pens, note pads, collaboration with the help outlining the with the help with an agenda sign in sheet,

among your of our current programs that of the current the day of the meeting room

school ELL will be ELL specialists training with

community, specialists, for presented and session SmartBoard families, and school staff, a preparing a

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within the want to community school, staff community. volunteer, in members who members, and order to would like post at Participants

provide information community will be invited information regarding ELL based centers to fill out an

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practice in the meeting room classroom and and all

at home. necessary

resources

Having a diverse student population is not going to change in our schools. Teachers must adapt to the ever changing needs that are represented each new year. Understanding that incorporating reflective professional practices help us extend our understanding of personal biases and can help establish areas of strength and weaknesses. Involving our colleagues, parents, and community stakeholders in school based activities that teach them how to properly address the diverse needs of students from all cultural and personal backgrounds. It truly is summed in the statement, “How teachers respond to this diversity is critical to student success in school and life” (Laureate Education, 2015f).

REFERENCES

Aceves, T.C., & Orosco, M.J. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching (Document No. IC-2).

Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator,

Development, Accountability, and Reform Center website:

http://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/culturally-responsive.pdf

diversity. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved February 16, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity#synonyms

Gorski, P. C., & Pothini, S. G. (2018). Case studies on diversity and social justice education

(2 nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Haynes, J. (2014). Six strategies for teaching ELLs across the content areas. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from http://blog.tesol.org/six-strategies-for-teaching-ells-across-the-contentareas/

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015i). Are your goals S.M.A.R.T.? [Multimedia file].

Blatimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015f). ELLs in today’s schools [Video file]. Baltimore, MD:

Author.

Shapiro, J. P. & Stefkovich, J. A. (2011). Ethical leadership and decision making in

education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas (3 rd

ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Walden University (2010). Walden’s diversity proficiencies. Retrieved February 19, 2019,

from

https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201860_02/1_Standard

_Documents/1_Current_Documents/MSED/MSED_RWRCOEL_Diversity_Proficiencie s.pdf

APPENDIX

Rosebud Elementary School

( this letter will be on the school’s letterhead )

February 25, 2019

Dear Parents,

You are invited to attend an information session that will take place on March 14, 2019, at 6:00 PM, here at Rosebud Elementary School. This session is regarding a new program we are starting for English Language Learners in our Kindergarten classes. We strive to ensure all of our students receive the necessary tools they need to be successful. Keeping this in mind, your child has been invited to participate in a twelve week program geared towards their specific learning needs. This program will create opportunities for them to receive explicit, small group instruction in the areas they need in order to achieve proficiency.

During this meeting parents will be given important information regarding what will be taught and instructional strategies that will be used to help their child achieve success. We certainly hope you will make every effort to attend.

Please feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank You,

Angela Nichols

Intervention/School Support Specialist